Markets Analysis: Catering to aviation professionals may be able to help your tool business soar.

by Becky Bergman On Dec 1, 2006

The air travel industry witnessed healthy growth during the 1990s, fueled by an increase in passenger volume, coupled with a booming economy. The tragic events of September 11, 2001, all but grounded air transportation in the U.S., as terrorism fears, a depressed economy and news about the war halted plans for many would-be travelers, which reduced air traffic to pre-1996 levels.

U.S. air travel was soaring at a rapid pace until 2001, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The industry witnessed air travel expand from 172 million passengers in the 1970s to more than a whopping 642 million in 2003. Air travel still remains one of the most popular modes of transportation, and passenger volume is on the rise again.

Aircraft mechanics service, inspect and repair planes. While they may work on several different types of aircraft—jet transports, small propeller-driven airplanes or helicopters—technicians typically specialize in a particular area. Many aircraft mechanics—also known as airframe (body) mechanics, power plant (engine) mechanics and avionics (navigation, communication and electronic components) technicians—specialize in preventive maintenance.

In small, independent repair shops, aviation mechanics usually inspect and repair a myriad of aircraft. This can include the repair of engines, landing gear, instruments, pressurized sections and accessories, such as brakes, valves, pumps and air-conditioning systems.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that mechanics follow a rigid maintenance schedule based on the number of hours an aircraft has flown, calendar days, cycles of operation—or a combination of these factors.

Employers prefer techs who have graduated from aircraft mechanic trade schools, particularly those who have earned certification or gained experience by serving in the military, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Aircraft mechanics who specialize in airframe or power plant components must be certified by the FAA, which requires 18 months of professional experience—or the completion of a program at one of the 170 FAA-certified mechanic schools around the nation. Most FAA-certified schools issue two and four-year degrees in avionics, aviation technology and aviation maintenance management.

The FAA’s strict standards mandate certified mechanical schools to offer students a minimum of 1,900 class hours. Coursework normally lasts from 18 to 24 months and offers training with the tools and equipment used on the job. According to the FAA, schools now put more emphasis on technologies, such as turbine engines, aviation electronics and composite materials, which can include graphite, fiberglass and boron.

Unlike other segments in the mechanical industry, aircraft mechanics are required to keep up-to-date on the latest technology, improvements and changes in aircraft and associated systems. Without certification, “You can only work when supervised by someone who does have a certificate,” according to the FAA. “You could not approve equipment for return to service.”

To obtain certification, the FAA requires mechanics to take an oral and practical test that covers 43 technical subjects and takes about 8 hours to complete. More than half of the 142,000 jobs in aircraft and avionics mechanics are in air transportation companies.

An estimated 18 percent of aviation technicians work for the federal government, while 14 percent work for aerospace products and parts manufacturing firms. The remaining population works for companies that operate their own planes to transport executives or cargo. The industry has very few self-employed technicians.

Most airline mechanics and service techs work at major airports located in large metro cities. Civilian mechanics employed by the U.S. Armed Forces work at military installations, according to the National Business Aviation Association.

Aircraft mechanics and service techs earn an average of $21.77 per hour, with the middle 50 percent earning between $17.82 and $27.18. The lowest 10 percent earn less than $13.99 per hour, while the highest 10 percent earn more than $33.84 per hour.

The median hourly earnings in the industries employing the largest numbers of aircraft mechanics are: scheduled air transportation, $27.37; federal government, $21.67; non-scheduled air transportation, $20.88; aerospace product and parts manufacturing, $20.60; and support activities for air transportation, $18.70.

The aviation industry offers distributors many opportunities for tool and equipment sales. Tool dealers who try to take wing in this industry may inspire their sales to soar in addition to their newly diversified customer base.

A Day In The Life

Of An Aviation Maintenance Director: Keeping an eye in the sky can help propel your sales.

By the time I start my day, the Flight Line Department has been in for three hours, getting the day‘s charter aircraft ready for early morning departures. The early shift technicians start at 6 a.m. They have already arranged an aircraft in the hangar and started on a required annual inspection for a new customer‘s aircraft. They‘ve detached the inspection panels, removed the engine cowling, put the aircraft on jacks and begun to inspect the engines.

8:00 a.m.
I start to review the work completed yesterday for a customer who‘s scheduled to pick the plane up today. Elbows deep, I receive a call from Jeff Baum, the owner of Wisconsin Aviation, with a request to find a pilot to perform a test flight on an aircraft we are considering to buy for our rental and training fleet. He informs me the plane may be late due to this morning‘s lingering fog. I arrange a pilot and notify Kevin Fenske, the shop manager, of the delay so he can advise the crew to work on a different project until this one arrives.

8:30 a.m.
I meet with Jean Madsen, the administrative assistant; Scott Yeager, the airworthiness inspector; and Fenske for our morning meeting. We touch bases on the projects of the day and set an itinerary for the completion of outgoing invoices, aircraft log books on departing planes, outside vendors rework schedules, and projects that need parts ordered today. It’s a five-minute meeting, but it‘s important to keep the lines of communication open.

After the meeting I finish reviewing yesterday‘s work and today’s pick-ups. I answer e-mails, phone messages and sift through mail. In the midst of this, I get a call from our Avionics Department about an issue they can’t clear up for a pending trip. Testing concluded one of the four navigation receivers has a weak signal output. After assessing the situation, we determine the equipment isn‘t required for this flight, and the repair can wait until parts arrive the next day. I issue an authorization for the repair deferral and return to the mail.

Fenske advises me of trouble in completing a dynamic propeller balance. It turns out our equipment is at fault. We sent this equipment back to the manufacturer two weeks ago, and the company tested and recertified it. When I contact them again, they tell me they intend to send loaner test equipment and promise to look at ours again. Our customer doesn‘t receive the news well; the project’s already been delayed due to a vendor hold-up in overhauling an N1 tach generator. I spend a few minutes on the phone to explain the delay to restore the ever-critical working relationship.

10:00 a.m.
I check the weather and see it’s finally starting to clear. We establish the aircraft for pre-purchase inspection should be here in about half an hour. In the meanwhile, a customer arrives to pick up his aircraft. I go over the invoice and work performed with him. He’s been having problems receiving his XM weather maps on the multi-functional display, so we installed an attenuator in the antenna lead, which should improve his reception. The real fix isn’t available from the manufacturer for two more weeks, but this should work till then.

The aircraft we‘re looking to buy finally arrives. I introduce the pilot to one of our flight instructors, and soon they’re on a test flight. They return without complication, and we immediately launch into an aircraft inspection. The engine cylinder differential compression checks out, and the oil filter is cut open and clean of metal debris. The plane previously flew in Florida‘s salty air, so we thoroughly examine for corroded aluminum. We only discover some minor surface corrosion that we can treat and repaint. Then we investigate cable tensions as well as flight controls. We accept the aircraft and schedule the work. The plane not only needs repairs, but also an engine pre-heater installation for winter operations in Wisconsin.

I check on the progress of an interior refurbishment. This customer bought an aftermarket interior trim panel kit for his aircraft. After he attempted the installation himself, he decided it was more than he could handle. We sorted through all 38 pieces, and the installation is progressing fine. Despite a lot of cutting, trimming and reformation of the pieces, the fit is good. Some of the pieces vary in color, so I drop an e-mail to inform the customer of the color discrepancies and quote him a price to repaint the pieces.

1:30 p.m.
I return from lunch and check the momentum of the annual inspection. The guys found a crack in the windshield. The crack runs from the retainer to the edge of the windshield, so it‘s an acceptable crack, but the recurring inspection interval may need to be shortened. We can still wrap up the inspection by midday tomorrow. I can create an estimate and contact the owner tomorrow.

For the next couple hours I find time in the office to complete paperwork, return phone calls and jot down more scheduling. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) inspector is scheduled to be in tomorrow, too, and I need to execute a conformity check on an aircraft we intend to add to our charter fleet. The FAA has an on-line program to manage our Charter Certificate. It’s been a long time since I was trained, so it takes me longer than I anticipated.

3:45 p.m.
It’s time for my afternoon meeting with the Charter and Line departments. We rehash tonight and tomorrow’s hangar storage needs, aircraft arrival and departure, and any changes that may have otherwise popped up during the day. In the middle of the meeting, I learn an air ambulance flight has just been confirmed. The Line Department is in the process of removing the aircraft from storage, and the flight is scheduled to depart as soon as it‘s reconfigured from passenger seating to an air ambulance setting.

I instruct Fenske to round up some guys for the installation of the stretcher. We service the stretcher with medical oxygen and install it within 30 minutes. The team revises the aircraft‘s weight and balance, and the flight forges ahead.

4:30 p.m.
A returning charter claims there‘s a problem involving the cabin heater. We get it into the hangar and find the unit without a power source, so we troubleshoot the circuit and find a failed switch. Luckily, we happen to have the switch in stock and schedule the evening shift to repair it. This requires shuffling some scheduled work for tomorrow.

5:30 p.m.
I finish up the scheduling and answer just one more e-mail. It’s time to call it a day, so I check on the late-shift guys before I head on home. All this is in a day‘s work for an aviation maintenance director like me.